aninsidelook
Rad101
Know your modalities
Radiology has evolved radically since X-rays were first discovered in 1895.
Today, there are three common techniques for capturing diagnostic images –
but there’s often some confusion about what distinguishes them from each
other and how each one works. Here’s a quick overview.
Film-based Radiology
Digital Radiography (DR)
Here’s the oldest process and the one
most people are familiar with, because
it's been around for more than a
century. This method passes a beam of
radiation through the body part and
exposes a sheet of film. The film is then
processed with chemicals to create an
image. Film gets the job done and can
provide quality diagnostic images. But it
has drawbacks as well: it's timeconsuming, requires ongoing film
purchases and uses harsh chemicals
with unpleasant fumes.
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Computed Radiography (CR)
This technology replaces the film wit